New Zealand has decided not to participate in US President Donald Trump’s Peace Council, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said. He called for “clarity on its remit” and said New Zealand would not join the international body in “its current form”.
Peters attended X and said New Zealand recognized the leadership of the United States working closely with regional nations to promote peace in Gaza. He noted that while the Peace Council has a role in Gaza as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2803, several countries, particularly from the region, have already contributed and New Zealand does not believe this would provide significant added value.
He said: “As a leading founder and long-time supporter of the United Nations, it is important that the Committee’s work complements and is consistent with the UN Charter. It is a new body and we need to be clear on this and other issues surrounding its mandate, now and in the future.”
“New Zealand will not be joining the board in its current form but will continue to monitor developments,” Peters concluded.
What is Trump’s Peace Council?
Trump launched his Peace Council last week, which was originally intended to bolster the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, but he envisions it taking on a broader role involving other global powers.
According to a draft charter seen by Reuters, the US president would serve as the first chairman of the board, which is tasked with promoting global peace and helping resolve conflicts. The charter states that member countries will serve three years unless they each contribute $1 billion to support the work of the board, in which case they would gain permanent membership.
He invited a number of world leaders. While Middle Eastern countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have embraced it, along with major developing countries such as Indonesia, global powers and traditional Western allies of the US have reportedly taken a more cautious approach to the council.
A US official said the number of countries that have joined the Peace Council reached 25 on Monday, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that global problems cannot be solved by a single power that “calls the shots”, warning that international law is being undermined and multilateral cooperation weakened. While Guterres did not name any country specifically, his comments came a week after Trump introduced the Board of Peace.
